Fastening device for vehicle tops



C. R. ALLEN.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR VEHICLE TOPS. APPLICATION FILED ocT.23,192o.

1,438,353. Patented Dec. 12, 1.922.

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Av i/ Patented Dee. l2, 1922.,

rares Gerentes a ALLEN, or nsrrrnnnta, oI-rio, essrenon 'ro 'run As'rifrnBULA :Bow SOCKET Cor/renna, or: AsH'frAB'ULA, onto, A oonronn'rron or cerro.

nns'rnunrne neuron non VEHICLE irons.

Appucaaqn nea @meer e3, I1920. seria; no, 419,056.

To all 'Lu/tom it may concern.'

YBe it known that l, Gi'innnns ',R. Annen, a citizen'lofthe UnitedStates, and a resident ofvxshtahula, county of. vA-Qshtabula, and State of hio, have invented aY new and useful Aimprovement in Fastening Devices for Vehicle Tops, of which the following is especification, the principle ef ythe invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I havevr contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from 'other mventions. v

In the modern developmentV of the s'ocalled Cape top, as adopted for use on automobiles and like Vehicles,- lmown as oneman top, as well as, for that matter, in the older form of such @ape top i'n which separately supported bows'fcarry the top covering, it vhasbecome the practice to attach the forward more or less horizontally extending bow to the Windshield frame' or special standard rising from the vehicle body. This mode of attachment is'obviously preferable to the long straps and the like which were formerly used to tie down the front vends of these tops, and devices in considerable variety Vhave been proposed for thus directly attaching the front portion of the top yto the windshield frame, varying from short straps to more elaborate clamps. Most, if not all, of these are inconvenientin operation and, furthermore, are liable to rattle, if not when the top is extended and attached in the fashion described, then, when the top is collapsed and laid bacln The object, accordingly, of the present invention is to provide ia device cfthis sort that will be simplein construction and operation, and will, the lsame time, serve to securely attach the top to' the vehicle body through the medium of such windshield frame or like structure. further object is to provide a device that can be adjusted. readily, Vso as not to rattle either when the top is collapsed, or when itis in its 'open position and thus attached.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing andrelatled ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out'in the claims, the annexed drawing'and the folltwving'deof the invention. may be used,-

-hereinbefore referred to, lshown in its eX- tended position and with my improved device in place thereon, whereby such top is attached to the vehicle body;'l3`ig. 2 is a plan view on a somewhat larger scale of such device; Figs. 3 and 4 are'vertical sections 'of the same, as indicated by the lines 3 3 and lr-4, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 isa horizontal section thereof, the plane of such section being'indicated by the line 5&5', Figf, and Figs and 7 illustrate a modication.

The construction ofthe top, of course, is a matter of indifference so far as the voperation of my improved securing device is concerned. The one illustrated is a commercial form of so-c`alled one-mani top characterized by having a forwardly inclined main bow l that is pivotally 'attached vto the Vevehicle body, and a jointed Outrigger bow 4, l

likewise pivotally attached to: said firstnamed bow, extends forwardly in amore er less horizontal direction over the ,front seat of the body, in the open condition of the top illustrated in Fig.I 1';r in intermediatehow e, carried by said Outrigger b,ow,serves to support the top materialy '6 intermediate between the forward portion, or Outrigger'loovcl proper andthe main bow 1. A Rising from the dash or cowl 7 are two posts or standards 8, which may, as in the 'construction illustrated, form the'side'members of the windshield frame, or be inde-- pendent supports, as` they case may be, the upper ends of these lstandards being so difsposed as to lie just within the transverse portion of the Outrigger how l in such dpen condition of the top. Suchv upper ends of these standards are in the form ofl cylinfing; suiiicient -for this purpose.

. :las

drical studs il, as best shoivn in Fig. 3, having;` an encircling groove l0 spaced from the extremity of the stud., ile a short distance belen" the cove there is a shoulder or collar ll..

Attached to the inside of the bou", so as to register with each such stud, is a lai-shapec bracket formed on imvar-| directed sides with ,ci oves i3 (see i which serve to tatably hold and guide the cf1 stem l5 neil-ro head of an eye-bolt le, the three a of 'which projec' s through en 'opening in tne end of the bracket, a Wingnut lo on the projecting portion of such stem being` adapted to dranT such head towards the end of the brac-liet. 1 1

, ln` its inner or loose position, the head `of bolt lfris adapted 'to freely pass over or enO e with the corresoondin cylinc rical stur. 9, the rounded e tremit of the latter facilitating such engawc'ment, and the 'collar or shoulder il thereon serving to' limit `the position of the bracket, so as to `prevent the borv fromv dropping' too far. ln this yposition ofthe partdtheeyesbolt, when tightened, is brought into engagementzivith the encircling groove l0 on the stud and presses rthe latter against the front of the bracket,

thus obviously securely clamping the parts together. l j

. "ft will be observed (see that the inner face of that portion of eye-bolt 14tdesigned to engage .with groove l() is beveled both from above and'belowvv As a result, not only is it assured that said eye-bolt when ldrawn forwardly will ht tightly between the edges of the groove, but the action of the upper' of such-beveled faces will be to pullthe bracket 12 downwardly into firmly seated position on shoulder il.

A. very slight amount of movement on the partof the eye-bolt is su'dicient to either lamp or unclamp the device, a single turn of the Wing-nut 16 with standard thread berlhe ease with which the device may be operated is thus apparent. `lit the same time, when the clamping devi-re proper is disengaged from the stud, a slight addi ional turn of the .Wing-*nut serves to draw the bolt tightly against the end of the bracket, and thus to prevent rattling; of the saine, when the top is collapsed or folded.

in case a shoulder llcannot be conveniently provided on the stud, the alternative stop means illustrated in Figs. 6. and Y may be employed. fis shown in such Fig. 6, which corresponds otherwise With Fig. 3, a

plate 20 is provided to cover the top of the ybracket' and so prevent the stud from projecting therethrough. rlhis plate can be l either se Jarate as thus shown or'formed in tegral with the bracket, the separate construction being preferred, since a loclr Washer 2l rectanoularly related thereto (see Fig. 7) may be incorporated, so as to slip over the stem l5 of the eye-bolt and prevent the accidental loosening of the nut 16.

@ther modes r,of applying thev principle of my invention may be employed. instead of the one explained, change beingv made as regards mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the followling,` claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed. f

therefore particularly point out and distinctly claimy as my invention :e

l. rlhe combination with a vehicle body and a foldable top therefor; ofmeans forv saidtop to said body, said means including 1 a vertically projecting; stud on` saidbody formed-with an encircling recess and a. shoulder below such recess, and a transverselyadjustable eye-boltinsaid top adapt ed to engage with therecess in said stud and i thereby clamp said vtopy to vthe latter, the

vshoulder on said stud serving` as a stop to determine the position of said eye-bolt thereon, one of the inter-engaging faces of said '.eyeLbolt and the recess on said stud being beveled, substantiallyk as and for the pur pose described. l

rihe combination with a vehicle body `and a foldable top' therefor.; of meansfor detachably securing the front portion of said top to saidbody, said means including a vertically projecting` stud on said body formed vvitha recess, a' l! shaped bracket on said top adapted to fitover said stud and hai/'ing grooves 1n its inwardly directed Walls, and an eye-bolt adjustably held in such grooves and adapted to engage the recess on said stud and clamp the same against said bracket upon being' drawn forwardly,

the' face of said eyefbolt thus adapted tol engage such recess being beveled bothk from above and belovv.

4. rl`he combination With -a vehicle body and aj foldable top therefor; of means for detachably securing the front portion of said top tosaid body, said means including a vertically projecting. stud on said lbody formed with a recess, a il-shaped bracket on said top :adapted to fit over said stud and havinggrooves in its inwardly directed- Walls, and an eye-bolt adjustably held in such grooves and adapted to engage the reeye-bolt thereon, and the face of the latter thus adapted to engage such recess being beveled both from above and below.

5. A device of the character described, in-

cluding a stud, a V-shaped bracket adapted 19 10 to fit over a stud and having grooves in its inwardly directed Walls, and an eye-bolt adjustably held in such grooves and adapted to engage said stud and clamp the same against said bracket, the face of said eye-bolt thus adapted to engage said stud being beveled, substantially as and for the purpose described.

Signed by me, this 20th day of October, 20.

CHARLES R. ALLEN. 

